Palestinian girl killed in Gaza clashes

GAZA (Reuters) - A 14-year-old Palestinian girl was killed on Saturday during clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, medical workers said.

They said the girl was killed by a shell fired by an Israeli tank, part of an Israeli force that entered the town to arrest a Hamas militant.

An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the incursion but said the army was unaware a girl had been killed.

An Israeli air strike targeted a group of gunmen during the incursion, seriously wounding one of them, the spokeswoman said.

Israel frequently raids the Hamas-controlled territory in what it calls an effort to stop cross-border rocket attacks.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)